Innovative Solution

sustainable sanitation, ecological sanitation, school sanitation

educational

- Education

- Technical

- Policy

In cases where there are not reliably working flush toilets, modern dry toilet technology can be implemented. In the last years, WECF built together with local partners more than 50 Urine Diverting Dry Toilet (UDDT) Buildings for schools, as demonstration projects in different countries. The UDD toilet as a sustainable sanitation – or often called ecosan toilet – offers high quality and comfort. Because of the separation technology in the toilet device, these toilets do not smell or attract flies. Consequently the UDD toilet or ecosan toilet can be built inside the school like a water flush toilet, which provides a comfortable solution, especially important in winter. Water resources are saved and protected by safe storage, treatment and reuse of excreta. The installation of UDDTs leads to an immediate improvement of the hygienic sanitary and environmental situation. Compared to conventional toilets, UDDTs offer the possibility to explain the pupils in combination with the hygiene education the inter-linkages between ecology, agriculture, nutrient- and water-cycles. Through its pilot demonstrations of school toilets, WECF has shown that the situation can be improved with fewer financial resources compared to the installation of flush-toilets. No infrastructure such as central water supply or sewerage system is needed for the operation of the UDDT.

In peri-urban and rural areas of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus und Central Asia

The request often comes from the school directors and communities. Initiated was the project by WECF and local NGO partners, starting with WASH training with the pupils and trainers, then training on UDDT. The training is an ongoing process in the schools as every new school year pupils need to be educated. The pupils are the multiplicators for the UDDT in their villages and pose the demand for a better toilet at home. The teachers and parents are involved from the beginning. A good operation and maintenance is key for success but also the acceptance of the education and hygiene inspection.

Currently WECF and network have been implementing 50 school UDDT as demonstration toilets in 10 countries. A number of school directors come and request for the same UDDT.

The hygienic and sanitary conditions of many rural school toilets in the world range from bad to terrible. In most cases the sanitation facilities consist of simple pit-latrines with little standard of cleansing. Also hand washing facilities are mostly lacking and privacy is missing. In addition to the bad hygienic toilet conditions and lack of privacy, the groundwater of the school community often gets polluted with faecal bacteria and nitrates by infiltration of the toilet pits,. This puts the rural population at constant risk of waterborne diseases caused by polluted drinking water, and in some communities it is considered normal to have almost constant diarrhoea.

School sanitation was not explicitly defined as key priority in the targets so that is why it was put under this topic. As pupils stay at least half day in schools it is necessary for their well being to provide access to proper sanitation in schools.

The UDDT is a sustainable sanitation solution which is much cheaper compared to conventional sanitation with flush toilets and sewerage. Tangible impacts are the much improved health of the pupils.

Implementing hygienic, safe and sustainable sanitation in schools contributes to solving the health and environmental problems of these rural areas. Demonstrations accompanied by a training for pupils and teachers about hygienic and sanitation issues lead to higher educational standards and raise the awareness of the whole communities via the children.

The UDDT implemented in schools within the WECF network are monitored on a irregular basis to check the sustainability

Many schools and their directors are very interested in having such a UDDT as it can be implemented at once without having centralised water supply. There is a huge potential for replication. Needed for upscaling: * Promotion of the UDDT in schools by the education ministries * Increasing the budget for WASH in schools * Increasing the set of priorities at all level

Please see the key lessons learnt in our publication here: http://wecf.eu/download/2009/wecf_school_sanitation_english.pdf

Yes in Ukraine and in Georgia there is a good acceptance by oblast administrations however they lack of money to substantially improve the situation in the schools.

WECF – Women in Europe for a Common Future non governmental environmental and women network organisation Germany/Netherlands/France

www.wecf.eu

Dr. Claudia Wendland, Coordinator Sanitation Projects

Claudia.wendland@wecf.eu

Tel +49 172 414 3901

Please see http://wecf.eu/download/2009/wecf_school_sanitation_english.pdf